Apparatus for applying a bead to glass tumblers



May 27, 1958 P. A. BECKER 2,836,145

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A BEAD TO GLASS TUMBLERS Filed Jan 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR /%z2//4 56238:? .BY q-Y W ATTORNEYS May 27, 1958 P. A. BECKER APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A BEAD TO GLASS TUMBLERS Filed Jan. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W I 14 g 7 14 24 55 e, 1 w 0 16 3 I 27 Q 414 1- :11 Z6 i l I I) m l I y s a k Z4 y r3 4 17 5O 26 5 j? t 55 \G INVENTOR /%eey,43oee United States Patent Q APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A BEAD TO GLASS T UMBLERS Perry A. Becker, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application January 4, 1955, Serial No. 479,720

12 Claims. (Cl. 118-418) My invention relates to apparatus for use inapplying a coloring or decorating material to the rim surfaces of the glass tumblers or other articles. As herein shown and described, the invention is designed for applying a surface coating of gold or other colored ink or material to the beaded rims of glass tumblers.

The invention provides a plurality of units each including a decorating roll of rubber or similar material by which the ink or decorating material is applied to the rim surfaces of the workpieces. The article to be decorated is mounted for free rotation about its axis and is held in rolling contact with the decorating rolls. The latter are symmetrically arranged with respect to the workpiece and its support in a manner to apply a balanced pressure which prevents tilting or misplacement of the article. The coloring or decorating material is continuously applied to the decorating rolls by cylindrical transfer rolls.

- Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a preferred form of the decorating apparatus, with parts broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a view as indicated by the line 33 on Fig. 2, with parts in section and parts broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view showing an arrangement of the decorating rolls and the workpiece.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a plurality of frusto-conical rolls by which the ink or decorating material is applied to the beaded rim 11 of the article 12, herein shown as a glass tumbler. A frame or bracket 13, mounted on posts 14, provides a support of the apparatus. A plurality of stationary decorating units which may be of like construction are symmetrically arranged around the vertical axis about which the workpiece 12 is rotated during the decorating operation.

Each of theunits 15 comprises a frame member or arm 16 extending radially outward from a hub 17. Mounted on the arm 15 is a carrier 18 for the roll 10. The carrier 18 is adjustable horizontally along the arm 16 for adjusting the roll 16 for articles of different diameters. The carrier 18 comprises vertical arms 20 extending downward below the arm 16 and at the lower end of which a'short arm '21 is connected by a pivot rod 22. The roll 10 is mounted for free rotation on a pin 21 on the arm 21. A coil spring 23 under compression counterbalances the Weight of the roll 10 and causes the roll to bear lightly on a transfer roll 24. The roll 24 is otated as presently described about a horizontal axis.

The ink or decorating material, which may be in liquid or semi-liquid form, is fed downward by gravity through a tube 26, the lower end of which is directly over and in close proximity to a small cup 27 which forms a reservoir. The cup 27 bears against the cylindrical surface of the inking roll 24 by which the ink is transferred to the decorating roll it). The cup 27 extends along that portion of the roll 24 which is directly over and in 2,836,145 P t n e M 1 5 contact with the roll 10. The cup or reservoir 27, which may be of sufliciently soft and resilient material to maintainv close contact with the transfer roll 24, is yieldingly held against the roll by a leaf spring 39 attached to the carrier 18, the tension of the spring being adjustable by a thumb screw 31. The carrier 18 which is adjustable along the arm 116 is clamped in adjusted position by a clamping screw 33.

The rolls 24 are rotated continuously by an electric motor 35 mounted on the frame 13. The driving connections from the motor to the rolls 2 4 include the motor shaft 36, bevel gears 37, a vertical shaft 38, coupling 39, shaft 40, and a bevel gear 41. The gear 41 runs in mesh with gears 42 on the shafts 43 of the rolls 24. With these connections the decorating rolls 10 are rotated continuously about their axes.

The workpiece or tumbler 12 is supported on a pad 45 on the upper end of a stem 46 journalled for free rotation in a carrier 47. The axis of the stem 46 is in vertical alignment with the drive shaft 441'. The carrier 47 with the workpiece or tumbler 12 thereon, is moved vertically upward to bring the workpiece into engagement with the rolls 10 for the decorating operation. The upward pressure of the tumbler is sufficient to indent the soft rolls 10 of rubber or like material sufficiently to cause the contacting surface of the roll to embrace a substantial portion of the head 11. The width of the color band or decoration thus applied is determined by this pressure, the consistency of the roll and the contour of the bead or surface of the workpiece.

As shown in Fig. 4, the decorating rolls 19 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the workpiece 12 and its vertical axis of rotation. The frusto-conical rolls are arranged with their axes in vertical planes radial to the said axis of the workpiece. The axes of the rolls are also downwardly and outwardly inclined with respect to such vertical axis. The surfaces of the rolls at their points of contact with the workpiece are also downwardly and outwardly inclined at a somewhat greater angle to the horizontal than their axes (F ig. l

At least three rolls 1% are used for the decorating operation, the rolls being equally spaced circumferentially of the workpiece. arrangement of parts the workpiece 12 when brought into contact with the decorating rolls it is positively held against any lateral or tilting movement. At the same time the workpiece is free to be rotated about its vertical axis by the decorating rolls it) which are con tinuously rotated about their axes by the motor 35. The workpiece 12 when moved upwardly into contact with the rolls is immediately rotated about its axis by the frictional driving contact of the rotating rolls 10 with the rim surface or head 11. This rotation is preferably continued through somewhat more than one complete revolution of the workpiece so that each of the decorating rolls traverses the complete circumference of the rim or bead 11. The number of decorating rolls may be increased if desired.

Modifications may be. resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying decorating material to the surface of a workpiece, comprising means for mounting the workpiece for free rotation about an axis, decorating rolls. symmetrically arranged with respect to said axis- It will be apparent that with this 7 rotatable about said axis, 'a'stationary supporting frame in "which said shaft is journalled'for rotation, a driving pinion keyed to said shaft, and power transmitting devices individual to said decorating rolls each comprising'a gear driven by said pinion, and meansfortransmitting from the gear to the decorating roll.

; 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, the last mentioned motion 1 means comprising an inking roll driven by's'aidgea'r and running in contact with the decorating roll and applying a decorating material thereto, and means for applying th decorating material to the inking roll. r

3. The apparatus defined inclaim 2, the means for supplying the decorating material to the inking roll comprising an ink 'wellin the form of an open-sided container with the'open' side'bearing against the inking roll; springsmea'ns for holding the ink Well against the inking roll, and means for'sup'plying' ink to-said well.

4. Apparatus for applying decorating fluid to a circular,

for mounting the workpiece for'rotation' about the axis of said surface, decorating rolls positioned to engage'said surface, a stationary frame, rockar'ms' pivoted to said ffameand in which the rolls are mounted .for free rotation'abouttheir axes, means by which saidrock arms are held and maintained in a substantially constant relative position, means for applying a decorating fluid to the surfaces of said rolls, and means for rotatingthe rolls about 7 their axes while in contact with the workpieceand thereby rotating the workpiece about its axis and causing the rolls to apply a coating of the said decorating fluid to thesaid surface of the workpiece. t

5. Apparatus for applying decorating material, to a circumferential surface of a workpiece, means for supporting the workpiece for free rotation about the axis of said surface, decorating rolls mounted for rotation about their axes, the axes of the rolls being disposed radially with respect to the said axis of the workpiece and also inclined to the said axis, a frame carrying the rolls, means by which their axes are maintained in substantially constant relative position, means for rotating the rolls, means fo l-applying a decorating fluid to the surfaces of the rolls, V

and means for maintaining a pressure of therolls against the said circumferential surface. 7 V

6. Apparatus for decorating the circular rim surface of a a tumbler or other article, said apparatus .comprisinga pad for supporting the article for free rotation about the axis of said rim surface, at least three frusto-conical decorating rolls symmetrically arranged with respect to the axis of rotation of the article and equally spaced circumfer cntially of said axis, the rollshaving their axes inclined to the axis of the said surface and positioned With the peripheral surfaces of the rolls in contact withthe said rim surface of the article, means for applying a decorating material to the surfaces of the rolls, and'me'ans for'rotating the rolls and thereby rotating the article and applying circumferential surface of 'a workpiececomprisingmeans, 1

. crating units, 'each unit including a cylindrical inking V rotating the decorating rolls comprising'a drive shaft rotatable about the said vertical axis, the means for applying the decorating ink to the rolls comprising inking rolls 7 individual to the decorating rolls," said inking rolls running on and'clriving' the decorating rolls, and meansrforrning driving connections ibetween said drive shaft and inking rolls. V

8. Theapfparatus defined ini claim 7, the surfaces ofthe decorating' rolls at their points of contact with the work piece being downwardly and outwardly inclined withrespect to said vertical axis, whereby upward pressure ofthe workpiece against the decorating rolls causes a reacting pressure of the decorating rolls downwardly and inwardly against the said rim surface, thereby securely holding the article against tilting or lateral movement while the deccrating material is applied to said rim surface. 9. Decorating apparatus comprising atjleas't three'decroll, means for mounting said rolls with their axes horizontal, 'each said unit comprising a decorating rollj'posi tioned beneath the inkinglroll and having a frusto-conical surface in'lin'e contact with the cylindrical surface of the inking roll, means for yieldingly holding said surfaces in contact, a motor, and means forming driving connections between the motor and theinking rolls for conti uously 5 rotating the inking rolls and'imparting continuous frota the decorating material to said rim surface, the said pad a being free for rotation by and with'the said 'articledun'ng the rotation of the article. 7

7. Apparatus for decorating the rimsurface. of a tumbler or other workpiece, said apparatus including a pad forming a holder for the workpiece, a carrier inwhich said holder is mounted for free rotation about the vertical axis of the workpiece, a plurality of decorating rolls mounted for rotation about axes radial to said vertical axis with said rolls bearing on said rim surface, means for applying a decorating ink to the surfaces of the rolls, means-.for-rotating the rolls about their'axes, said carrier serving. as a means for holding the workpiece against the tion to the decorating rolls,';mean s including a pad for mounting a tumbler or other workpiecefor free'rotation about a vertical axis with the workpiece below the decorating rolls, and a carrier for the pad for holding the workpiece against the decorating rolls and thereby cans the workpiece to be rotated by said rolls, ink wells individual to the inking rolls, each said ink well being in the form of'an open-sidedcontainerwith the open side bearing against the inkingroll, spring meansfor holding the ink wells against the inking rolls, and means for supplying ink tosaid wells.

10. The apparatus defined in -claimt9 the axes'of the inking rolls being arranged radially with respect tot'the axis of rotation of the workpiece, r

11. The apparatus defined in claim 10, including a support on which said units are mounted and'adjustablc radially toward the said axis of rotation.

12. Decorating apparatus comprising a plurality 'of decorating units, each unit including a horizontal inking roll, a supporting frame in which the inking rolls are mounted for rotation about horizontal axes, said axes being radial to and symmetrically arranged about a vertical axis, the said units including frusto-conical decorating rolls individual to the units and running in contact with the respective inking rolls, means for applying ink to the inking rolls, a motor, meansproviding driving connections from the motor to the inkingrolls for simultaneously rotating the inking rolls and causing-them to'rotate the decorating rolls, said driving connections including a vertical' shaft concentric with said vertical axis, and-gears connecting said shaft with the inking rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 ,651,282 Schweitzer Sept. 8; 1953 

